<b>1. The MS13 gang is known as Mara Salvatrucha. A recent federal indictment describing the gang notes that the name is a combination of Spanish slang terms: “Mara” is a word used in El Salvador for gang. “Salvatrucha” is combination of words, “Salva” an abbreviation for El Salvador and “trucha” which means, heads up. </b>
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A Mara Salvatrucha gang member attends a mass celebrated by Archbishop Luigi Pezzuto, Apostolic Nuncio to El Salvador, and head army and police chaplain Monsignor Fabio Colindres at a prison in Ciudad Barrios, El Salvador, Monday in 2012. (AP Photo/Luis Romero) less

<b>1. The MS13 gang is known as Mara Salvatrucha. A recent federal indictment describing the gang notes that the name is a combination of Spanish slang terms: “Mara” is a word used in El Salvador for gang. ... more

Photo: Associated Press

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<b>2. The MS13 gang began in Los Angeles in the 1980s as a way for immigrants from El Salvador to protect themselves from predators in the immigrant community there.</b>
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A MS-13 gang member shows his tattoo identifying him as a member of that gang. (FBI) less

<b>2. The MS13 gang began in Los Angeles in the 1980s as a way for immigrants from El Salvador to protect themselves from predators in the immigrant community there.</b>
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A MS-13 gang member shows his ... more

Photo: courtesy of FBI

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<b>3. The MS13 gang consists primarily of people who are from Central America or are descendants of people from Central America. Most members have lineage from El Salvador, but it includes members with family ties to several countries, including Honduras, Guatemala, Mexico and others. </b>
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Julian Garcia, a former MS13 gang member, had tattoos removed at the "Goodbye Tattoo" clinic in San Pedro Sula, Honduras. Since the privately-funded clinic opened in 2000, volunteer workers have removed thousands of tattoos from young people who want to leave gang life behind. File Photo by Luis J. Jimenez less

<b>3. The MS13 gang consists primarily of people who are from Central America or are descendants of people from Central America. Most members have lineage from El Salvador, but it includes members with family ... more

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<b>4. While the MS13 gang is mostly tied to El Salvador, it is currently illegal to be a gang member there. </b>
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Back in 2009 in Houston, a group of the MS-13 gang members entered a beauty saloon located nearby at 2724 Crossview to , commit an armed robber and rape an employee. ( Smiley N. Pool / Houston Chronicle ) less

<b>4. While the MS13 gang is mostly tied to El Salvador, it is currently illegal to be a gang member there. </b>
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Back in 2009 in Houston, a group of the MS-13 gang members entered a beauty saloon ... more

Photo: Houston Chronicle

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<b>5. MS13 gang members once created fear and drew attention with wild, dark tattoos that covered nearly their entire faces. Gang members had since stepped away from such a look in order to avoid being detected by law enforcement. The new generation of gang members are known to have far fewer tattoos, sometimes only some ink inside their lips or somewhere on their bodies that can be covered with clothing </b><br>
This is a machete used by a MS-13 gang member during the armed robbery of a Houston Beauty Saloon back in 2009. (FBI) less

<b>5. MS13 gang members once created fear and drew attention with wild, dark tattoos that covered nearly their entire faces. Gang members had since stepped away from such a look in order to avoid being ... more

Photo: Courtesy of the FBI

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<b>6. Members of the MS13 gang who are illegally in the United States are known to use machetes instead of guns, as carrying the long-bladed weapon does not bring the same potential for a criminal charge as carrying a gun. Federal and state laws prohibit undocumented immigrants from having guns. </b>
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An MS-13 gang member shows his tattoo identifying him as a member of that gang. He participated in an armed robbery in a beauty saloon located at 2724 Crossview #106, in South West Houston, on January 17, 2009.
Byline: Courtesy of the FBI. less

<b>6. Members of the MS13 gang who are illegally in the United States are known to use machetes instead of guns, as carrying the long-bladed weapon does not bring the same potential for a criminal charge as ... more

Photo: courtesy of FBI

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<b>7. Members of the MS13 are known to display the gang’s colors – blue and white. Those are the same colors as the El Salvador flag. </b>
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Members of the Mara Salvatrucha gang at the Ciudad Barrios prison in Ciudad Barrios, El Salvador, Aug. 14, 2012. (Tomas Munita/The New York Times) less

<b>7. Members of the MS13 are known to display the gang’s colors – blue and white. Those are the same colors as the El Salvador flag. </b>
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Members of the Mara Salvatrucha gang at the Ciudad ... more

Photo: New York Times

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<b>8. MS13 gang members are known to mark their territory with graffiti of the letters MS as well as slogans unique to the gang.</b><br>
An example of a tattoo of the gang Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13). The Obama administration has labeled a violent Central American street gang as an international criminal organization subject to U.S. government sanctions, the first time this designation was given to such a group. (AP Photo/Michael Johnson, ICE) less

<b>8. MS13 gang members are known to mark their territory with graffiti of the letters MS as well as slogans unique to the gang.</b><br>
An example of a tattoo of the gang Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13). The ... more

Photo: Associated Press

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<b>9. MS13 members are known to have three dots in their tattoos for the three destinations they expect to face in life – the hospital, death and jail. </b>
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Members of a MS-13 gang who were arrested in January, 29, 2009, used a shotgun to commit robberies. They were charged with aggravated assault against a beauty saloon located at 2724 Crossview. (FBI) less

<b>9. MS13 members are known to have three dots in their tattoos for the three destinations they expect to face in life – the hospital, death and jail. </b>
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Members of a MS-13 gang who were arrested ... more

Photo: FBI

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<b>10. As members of the MS13 gang were deported from the United States to Central America, the gang grew in strength as it began operations from a country known for more corruption</b>
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The daughter of Claudia Palma, who fled her native Honduras after suffering at the hands of her MS-13-affiliated boyfriend applied for asylum in Houston. less

<b>10. As members of the MS13 gang were deported from the United States to Central America, the gang grew in strength as it began operations from a country known for more corruption</b>
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The daughter ... more

Photo: Eric Kayne

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<b>11. MS13 gang members pay dues at meetings. The money goes to help members who are in prison as well as support other gang activity. </b>
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Members of the Mara Salvatrucha gang build a greenhouse in Ilopango, El Salvador. The greenhouse, funded by the European Union, is one of many new programs that employs active gang members. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix) less

<b>11. MS13 gang members pay dues at meetings. The money goes to help members who are in prison as well as support other gang activity. </b>
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Members of the Mara Salvatrucha gang build a greenhouse in ... more

Photo: Associated Press

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<b>12. New male members of MS13 go through an initiation in which they are “jumped in” by being beaten by other gang members as another member counts aloud to 13. </b>
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A family in 2014 walks by a wall covered by a symbol from the Mara Salvatrucha gang in Ilopango, El Salvador. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix) less

<b>12. New male members of MS13 go through an initiation in which they are “jumped in” by being beaten by other gang members as another member counts aloud to 13. </b>
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A family in 2014 walks by a ... more

Photo: Associated Press

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<b>13. Female members can be “jumped into” the gang by sex acts with the gang’s members instead of being beaten</b>
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Two members of the Mara Salvatrucha gang are escorted while being transferred to another prison after a clash between rival gangs at the female prison in San Salvador, El Salvador in 2005. (AP Photo/Luis Romero) less

<b>13. Female members can be “jumped into” the gang by sex acts with the gang’s members instead of being beaten</b>
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Two members of the Mara Salvatrucha gang are escorted while being transferred ... more

Photo: AP

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The MS13 gang ... 13 things to know

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The MS13 increasingly poses a threat in Texas, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety, which points to at least five violent attacks by the gang in the past two years.

Those involved four murders tied to inner-gang issues and the shooting of a Stafford police officer, who took a bullet to the face and still chased after her attackers. A video taken by her cruiser’s dash cam of the chase is posted below. Turn up the sound, you’ll want to hear it.

A recent Houston Chronicle report looks at the gang and some of its recent crimes. For a bit more about the gang, the above gallery offers a few tidbits.

This is the start of that report:

When 16-year-old Josael Guevara’s battered, hacked and nearly decapitated body was found in the Sam Houston National Forest, authorities were led to one of the world’s best known international street gangs by one of the most unlikely of clues. It wasn’t the bat or machete used to kill then mutilate Guevara for betraying the MS13 gang, but a piece of paper: an auto insurance card for a truck driven by one of his alleged attackers.

An annual gang threat assessment by the DPS places the gang in the same tier as the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas, Bloods and Crips, although the gang draws a distinction with its ties to Central America.

It is referred to as the best known international street gang in the world. That is not saying one way or another if it is the most powerful or most dangerous organization, but that in many ways it has drawn the most attention.

Members used to sport dark, menacing tattoos over much of their faces and bodies, but the latest generation of the gang has sought to scale back the attention that brings by mostly doing away with prominent tattoos. Some are said to merely spot ink inside their lips.

As a Houston Police officer noted, the gang consists mostly of members who either are from Central America or have family from there, but was actually created in Los Angeles in the 1980s as a way for Salvadoran immigrants to defend themselves against predators.

This 2012 federal indictment describes some basic facts about the gang that are listed in the above photo gallery.